Use of DenyAccess seems redundant to me.

I was just reading your .htaccess file to learn a little more about how it’s done. I was looking a little more carefully at it and I noticed that every one of the IPs that’s in the development of the DenyAccess variable is also placed in the in the “deny from” list as a separate item so then what’s the point of the “deny from env=DenyAccess” line if we already have the very same IPs as separate “deny from” entrees. It’s probably just something I don’t understand about .htaccess file yet.

This is just the first nine entrees of this area of the .htaccess file

Jim

# End HackRepair.com Blacklist, http://pastebin.com/u/hackrepair
SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^1\.234\.83\.77$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^1\.234\.83\.77$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^1\.234\.83\.77$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^2\.94\.151\.162$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^2\.94\.151\.162$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^2\.94\.151\.162$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^5\.39\.1\.102$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^5\.39\.1\.102$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^5\.39\.1\.102$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^5\.135\.58\.152$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^5\.135\.58\.152$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^5\.135\.58\.152$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^5\.135\.43\.153$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^5\.135\.43\.153$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^5\.135\.43\.153$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^5\.175\.225\.31$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^5\.175\.225\.31$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^5\.175\.225\.31$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^5\.248\.83\.92$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^5\.248\.83\.92$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^5\.248\.83\.92$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^8\.37\.226\.155$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^8\.37\.226\.155$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^8\.37\.226\.155$” DenyAccess

SetEnvIF REMOTE_ADDR “^23\.81\.80\.177$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-FORWARDED-FOR “^23\.81\.80\.177$” DenyAccess
SetEnvIF X-CLUSTER-CLIENT-IP “^23\.81\.80\.177$” DenyAccess

order allow,deny
deny from env=DenyAccess
deny from 1.234.83.77
deny from 2.94.151.162
deny from 5.39.1.102
deny from 5.135.58.152
deny from 5.135.43.153
deny from 5.175.225.31
deny from 5.248.83.92
deny from 8.37.226.155
deny from 23.81.80.177

https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-wp-security/